From: BobK (c-24-9-70-251.hsd1.co.comcast.net)Subject: Some comments on Ohsawa or pot in pot cookingDate: June 27, 2005 at 1:49 am PST

I have been using an Ohsawa pot or pot in pot method to cook grains for some time now and occasionally have had the grains either bubble over or the grains boilingup and hitting the lid of the inner pot. With the lid on the inner pot the grains will be on the outside of the pot and in the pressure cooker water. If I donít use the lid on the Ohsawa pot the grains would occasionally boil up and hit the pressure cooker lid and again boil over into the pressure cooker water. Seeking to find a way to stop this I performed a series of experiments. One of these was to put 4 cups of water into the inner pot, put varying amounts of water in the cooker, close the cooker, bring to full pressureand immediately do a quick release under water and measure the temperature of thewater in the inner pot with a candy thermometer. I live at about 4700 ft. above sealevel. At this altitude water boils at about 200 to 205 degrees and the inner temperatureof the pressure cooker is about 240 to 245 degrees for a 15 pound pressure cooker.What I found was that the temperature of the inner pot was between about 175 and190 degrees, a difference of between 60 and 75 degrees between inner and outer pots.The difference depends upon how much water is in the inner pot and whether ornot the inner pot is in contact with the water. So thinking that this temperature differencemight be causing the inner pot to boil over I started to boil the water that I add to the grains and have had no problem since in the past 6 or so months. The procedure thatI now use is to set the inner pot on one of those meat racks with water about one halfan inch to an inch up the side of the inner pot, put the grains in the inner pot bring the pressure cooker water to a boil while boiling the water for the grains in a separate potand add it to the inner pot, close the lids of the inner pot and pressure cooker andbring to full pressure. I have not had a boil over or grains boil up and hit the lid of theinner pot since doing this. If I soak the grains I use the amount of cooking water to soak the grains and heat the inner pot water and grains separately and add to the inner pot.

There are some other advantages. Starting with cold water when the pressure cookerreached full pressure I couldnít seem to get the stove temperature right, I was alwaysadjusting it. Now I just adjust once at full pressure and that seems to be it. The timingat full pressure is reduced to nearly the time for cooking without the inner pot. I have never had to wash either the lid or the pressure cooker pot since I started cooking grains this way, just rinse them off.